Best Bingsu Places in Korea

The deadly hot summer in Korea is coming soon! Summer here can be scorching and humid, and it will get you sweating in minutes. Bingsu (shaved ice) is a must-have dessert that is cool and refreshing, just perfect for the summertime. We've prepared an excellent selection of Korean bingsu stores that you must try out!

Sulbing
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If you were asked to name one Korean bingsu brand, the first store that pops in your head would be Sulbing. Starting from the very first store in Busan in 2010, it's now operating 490 branches nationwide. You can find Sulbing almost anywhere in Korea!

One special thing about Sulbing is that you can enjoy traditional Korean desserts in various flavours and all of them are super tasty! This makes Sulbing a perfect bingsu place.

In addition to bingsu, you can try all kinds of delicious Korean snacks such as injeolmi toast (rice cake covered in bean flour), bungeoppang (fish-shaped bun) and hotteok (Korean pancake)!

At Sulbing, a variety of new fancy menus are presented every season, making all bingsu enthusiasts go nuts! Because each menu is very unique and delightful, many locals rush into the store every time a new menu is released.

'Strawberry Macaroon Sulbing' and 'Yogurt Melon Sulbing' have been recently released and attracted many customers. Give it a try with your friends and family!

Peony

Peony, located on the popular cafe street of Yeonnamdong, Hongdae, is more of a strawberry cake shop than a bingsu store. However, the strawberry bingsu sold here is so popular that people come even during the winter. Every time I visited, there was a long queue in front of the store, and I had to wait more than half an hour.

Unlike Sulbing, which sells different kinds of bingsu, Peony sells only one type, the strawberry bingsu. It looks quite simple, but trust me; you will experience the softy strawberry paradise in your mouth!

Put a slice of strawberry topping on top of a spoon full of ice flakes first and take a bite. If you just mix the whole bingsu from the start, it will turn into watery strawberry milk in minutes, and you will ruin the chance to try this fluffy and luscious strawberry snowflakes.

If you have more space in your stomach after finishing the strawberry bingsu, then you must try this white cream strawberry cake too! Life couldn't be better without this cake!

Tokyo Bingsu

Because of Tokyo Bingsu, the Japanese style of shaved ice became popular in Korea. If Sulbing is the pioneer of Korean bingsu, Tokyo Bingsu is the most famous bingsu brand that represents Japanese-inspired bingsus in Korea.

Being super famous through SNS and word of mouth, Tokyo Bingsu has now become the most popular bingsu store to have a bowl of fresh bingsu, beating Sulbing!

The interior is simple and cozy which reminds me of cafes seen in Japanese movies.

The size of the store is not as big as Sulbing, but the adorable decorations add on to the relaxing and calming vibe of the place.

Tokyo Bingsu sells all sorts of bingsus from strawberry, red-bean paste, green tea, Oreo cream, tomato, black bean, fig and avocado. Some are normal but some are definitely out of the box! This place is perfect for those who like to try out new things.

You should try the signature menus which are 'Bloommy Tomato Bingsu' and 'Mount Fuji Tea Bingsu', especially the tomato one. It tastes beyond your imagination!

I know tomato bingsu is not the typical bingsu that people go for, but once you taste it, you will not be able to stop yourself until it's finished.

If you want to try out a special bingsu in Korea, I highly recommend you visit Tokyo Bingsu! There are a couple of branches in Seoul and Daegu.

MEALTOP

MEALTOP is another famous bingsu franchise in Korea that cannot be missed out. Since all MEALTOP branches are located only in Hyundai Department Stores, this place might be unfamiliar to foreign visitors. However, many locals make their journey to Hyundai Department Stores just for the MEALTOP's bingsu!

Since it is located in a department store, the interior designs are luxurious, but the price of all signature bingsu is much cheaper than other bingsu stores!

In MEALTOP, I recommend you to try the most basic one, the milk bingsu with the red-bean paste. All of my local friends say that the milk bingsu from MEALTOP is the best among all the basic bingsus in Korea! Plus, the size is perfect after a meal.

Besides bingsu, MEALTOP sells a variety of desserts, and most of them are made from traditional Korean ingredients like mugwort, glutinous rice, Injeolmi (type of rice cake), soft persimmon, and etc. Enjoy MEALTOP's delightful dishes and try all the traditional Korean desserts!

Myeongdong Cacao Green

Located in Myeongdong, Cakao Green is a cafe that sells various kinds of handmade chocolate desserts as well as bingsu! And because of its tourist-centric location, it is said to be more popular among foreigners than locals.

In Cacao Green, I highly recommend the Triple Chocolate Bingsu. It has an overwhelming chocolate ice cream with a sticky, thick texture!

In addition to the deep chocolate flavour, there are bingsus in various flavours such as strawberry, green tea, mango, and etc.

Also, there are dozens of delectable desserts besides bingsu. Be sure to try the Ddal-gu Pie, a signature menu made up of strawberry ice cream, raw strawberries, pastry with custard cream, and white chocolate! A recipe that cannot fail.

If you are planning to visit Myeongdong, I recommend you to stop by this spacious place and try all these amazing bingsus and desserts.

We hope that you can fight the heat with delicious and refreshing bingsu this summer. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or send us an email at help@creatrip.com! You can also follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to stay up to date on all things Korea!